Xx hee heelless ovekshoe



Jan. 3, 1928.

Filed Dec. 19, 1925 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 3, 192

insane PATENTQEFICE.

DAVID H.- FIIhlBEECi, 03.? BROOKLYN, iNE l' f YCDEIK, ASSIGNOR TO THE MILLER RUBBER GUMPANY, (IF AKRON, OHIO, A. GGRPORATION OF OHIO.

HEELLESE OVERSI-IOE.

Application filed December 19, 1925. Serial No. 76,362.

his invention relates to footwear and has particular reference to the means or method for the manufacture of shoes and particularly shoes niade wholly or principally of rubber.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a rubber shoe so constructed as to be practically glove-fitting and whereby it will be adapted to be worn over ordinary or dress shoes of different SlZQ-S or lasts, thereby relieving the inamifacturer and dealer from the making of numerous shapes or forms of.

rubber shoes as well as various sizes to meet the demand that 1s now incident to the inaklng of rubber shoes in diiferent forms and sizes;

Another object of the invention is to provide a rubber shoe. in the nature of a storm over-sh e, that will be of the most valhad to the accompanying drawings in whichlilac reference characters designate the same parts in .theseveral views, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side perspective view. lllllo trating a preferred embodiment of my invention. i i y 2 is a frag ginentary front view as seen. from the arrow 2 of Fig. 1, showing particularly the by construction.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view, parts being broken away to better show the manner of ZfOI'lTHL tion. Fi is a plan view on small scaleof a blank constituting one-half of the shoe up-.

per. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the upper edge of.

the shoe front. prior to the formation of the 1 slit through the i1niei'"facing strip andnpper.

. drawings, the inetl'iod and manner of con--v this shoe will be understood as folnow more particularly to the Referrii t": 1 c id material i. prefer to use will be understood as being flexible elastic gum or rubber in sheet for-in except as otherwise specified: indicates one of two equal flat blanks preferably the same size and form as shown in Fig; 1 and in a semi-curved condition. These blanks are placed flat side by side with their cdges flush throughout, and in. such position they are united along their from 11 to 12, along the back and along the front from 13 down over the toe and thence rearward along the center of the sole to the point 14:, leaving an opening at the top at 15 and at the heel at 16. These scams or unions between the uniting edges of the blanks may be produced by machinery or otherwise in any convenient way, but considering the consistency and nature of the material they are preferably formed by the operation of squeezing rollers operatedalong the edgesas indicated by dotted lines in Fig. Tillie pressure ofthe rollers acting through the oppositely disposed teeth cause the rubber of thetwo plies to adhere,inaking a substantially integral structure.

The next step is to turn this shoe inside out and apply along the front a reenforoing strip of fabric 17 write equivalent, the same being secured asby 0611161113111 This strip extends from. the top down along the front to a point not far remote from the toe. After. the inner facing strip '17 is so applied, the shoe isturned again bringing the facing strip on the inside and the structure is put upon a last for further operations. I next apply a reenforcingstrip 18 in the nature of a relatively shorthand of rubber across the edge of the botton adjacent to the front of the heel, said strip'extending upward at the sides for a short distance. This strip e1;-

tends across the bottom portion 19 of the shoe formed by thetwo mating. parts 19. 1 next apply a re-enforcing strip 20 which extends all the ,way from the back of the heel or counter along the counter portion of the shoe and along the edgesfof the solearound 10o tothe back of the heel again. Thelower edge of this ;re-enforceinent strip 20 along the opening 16 isflush with the edge of the upper 10, but at all other points it overlaps the upper somewhat in'the nature ofa welt all the way around theshoe.

21 indicates a rerenforceinent for theupper edge of the. upper in the nature of a cuff, and at 22 and 28 are indicated front and rear re-enforcement strips, the part 22 11c I said outer facing strip.

of the toe piece.

being in the nature of a tip which overlaps the toe of the shoe and extends over and around the strip 20 throughout the width This toe piece extends beneath the toe of the'shoe as indicated in Fig. 3.

At 2d 1 indicate a flexible tongue portion which extends from the heel opening 16 where its edges lie flush with the edges of the re'enforcement 18 and bottom 19, forward to the line ..5 over which front edge or line the heavy wear sole 26 projects. This sole 96 is, as to its form and functioi'i, analogous to the usual heavy wearing sole or tap. All the strengthening and re cnforcing parts thus far described since the shoe was applied to the last are secured in place by any suitable means such as a temporary cement and vulcanization.

Along the front of the shoe is an outside facing strip comprising two parts 27 and 28 to provide for suitable fastening); means for the shoe when finished. These two parts may be regarded as a single strip as to the origin and manner of application thereof to the shoe. This strip may be made of any suitable tough non-elastic material such as canyas, leather, or the like, and extends all the way from the top flush with the end of the inner facing; strip 17 down over the upper portion of the tip 22. lVithout intending' to be limited to any particular species of fastening means, I show and prefer to use aseries of male and female snap fasteners having heads 29 on the portion 27 and sockets 30' on the inside of the portion 28 of In practice these two portions of the fastening or outer strip are connected throughout their length with the heads in the sockets. At this time all of the inner surface of the portion 27 and the side edge portion of the portion 28 are exposed for direct application to the shoe. These exposed portions are then applied with temporary cement or the like and put in place as indicated and made secure there after by the application of a row of stitches 31. extending all the way from the top down along one edge across the toe portion and toe top and thence upward along the other edge to the top again. These stitches extend all the way through the rubber upper and through the fabric strip 17. By this time the shoe will have been removed from the last. 32 indicates a bar-tack making a final IQ-QIlfOlCQDIGIltconnection between the lower end or tip portion of the outer facing of the shoe is slit-ted through and along a line flush with the inner edge of the strip 27, the strip 28 being rolled to one side while the slit is being made. This procedure gives a free opening for the entire front of the shoe down to the bar-tack and tip for the purpose of taking oil or putting on the shoe. hen the shoe is put on, the major portion of the upper being of single ply of elastic rubber, is drawn over the foot and shoe, if one is worn, and the front is brought together and fastened at the lly as indicated. The top of the shoe extends above the ankle and it also beiugr of resilient stock is :ulapted to be drawn Slllli'ffl) arouml and above the ankle to protect thoroughly the ankle from the weather. The strip 25: overlapping the most of the strip 2T vertex to exclude positively snow, or the like and so provides a warm and comfortable protector. From the fact that the shoe is made of rubber stock of a flexible and resilient constituency, the opening at 16 is preferably made substantially smaller than the shoe heel over which it is worn. and consequently when the overshoe is drawn on and into place and fastened, the rim around the heel opening 16 is drairn snugly aroiuul the heel seat of the shoe. insuring); the exclusion of snow, mud. or the like. Consequently, only the solid heel of the shoe indicated in dotted lines in position at H is exposed to the elem-ems. An inner sole is preferably inserted to make a smooth finish for the bottom of the shoe, and this member extends from the toe back to the region of the breast of the shoe heel.

.l ha xe found in practice that from the nature of the shoe. namely, that it is generally flexible and elastic in all directions for the purpose of adapting it to dress shoes or feet of larger sizes or irregular shapes, that the rounter portion of the shoe has a teudeiuiy to hue rather too closely upon the heel of the wearer or the shoe over which this rubher shoe is titled. To oll set this "act and ]')()Sr ll)l( disadvantage. l employ a counter piece of fabric 33 which in either one or two pieces extends from or about the point 3-! adjacent to the shank renlorcemcut I? upward and rearward around the back of the shoe to the corresponding point St on the other side. This strip 3?) may be inserted at any convenient time in the assen'iblanc of the shoe and may be vulcanized in place coincident with the yiilcanixation of the structure aboye described. Fig. 1 is broken away to show a portion of the counter attachment. and dotted lines indicate its scope.

I claim:

1. The method of making rubber shoes which comprises the following steps: cutting out two similar upper parts having integral sole extensions; unitingsaid parts along: seams extending" in the same Vertical plane from the top down along the back to the heel seat and down the Front. around the toe and thence back to the heel; then turning the shoe .Aside out and applying an inl 53 fl.

side facing strip along the Front seam; then turning the shoe again and applying external -re-enf0ru-31nont stripe along the edges of the stock; then attaching fly means to the trout and finally slitting the trout from the top downward through inner facing strip and the upper along the front seam and within the fly means.

2. A rubber shoe comprising integral upper and sole portions of two equal blanks united along seams in a vertical plane along the back and troutand also along the sole, an inner facing strip of flexible non-elastic material extending from the top downward along the front, fly members of flexible nonelastic material secured along the front on the outside, fastening means extending from the outer fly members through the upper stool; and through the inner facing strip, the structure being slitted through the inner Facing strip and upper stock back of: the fly members, and re-entorcenient sole means for the bottom of the shoe.

A rubber shoe as set forth in claim 2 characterized by the application of a reentorcelnent toe tip whose lower end lies with in the sole and Whose upper end lies be'- neath the lower end of the fly means aforesaid.

In testimony whereof: I afiix my signature.

DAVID H. FINBERG. 

